Period drama: Old Cao's carefree life

Chapter 99 Orchid and Bamboo Painting

"Wen San'er, stop the car."

"Master Cao, what are your orders? Just tell me and I'll do it for you."

"???" Cao Weida felt strange. Why did Wen San'er seem to have a sycophantic attitude towards him?

"No need, I just saw someone I know." He took out a UnionPay coin and handed it over. "Here, you go ahead with your work."

"Alright, you go ahead with your work, I'll be going now." Wen San'er took the money with some regret and drove off.

Cao Wei Da: "."

What are you regretting?

What he didn't know was that although Wen San'er was illiterate, he still had some sense of observation.

He knew who Xu Jingge was; even Master Xu had to take the initiative to invite Cao Wei Da Neng, so he was probably a mediocre person.
His main goal was to make his presence felt in front of Cao Wei Da, hoping to find a powerful patron or something.

Cao Wei Da was naturally unaware of these things, and even if he had, he would have simply smiled and let it go.

Putting aside the mysterious abilities of the Fang people, even without such mysterious abilities, he wouldn't bother to associate with Wen Sanduo.

Wen San wasn't exactly cold-hearted, but he wasn't exactly a man who would repay a debt of gratitude either.

As can be seen from the TV series, Wen San's so-called gratitude is more of a verbal expression and short-term emotion, more like a simple and random act of repayment from a lowly person.

You can't blame Wen San; he was just an ordinary citizen with limited abilities and vision.

It cannot be said that Wen San was wrong, but Cao Wei Da had no obligation to teach the other party.

Xu Jingge was kind to Wen San because Wen San saved him twice, but Wen San didn't save Cao Weida!

"Master Bai, may you be blessed!" Cao Weida walked over and greeted him with a smile.

That's right, this person is Bai Lianqi from "The Flames of War in Beiping", a down-on-his-luck Manchu bannerman who squandered his fortune.

"Who are you?" Bai Lianqi asked, puzzled. He racked his brain but couldn't recall where he had seen him before.

"My name is Cao Weida, a patrol officer at the police station."

"Oh, it's the boss! Greetings, Mr. Cao!" Bai Lianqi's face immediately lit up with a smile. He respectfully cupped his hands and asked cautiously, "Mr. Cao, who are you looking for?"

"It's almost lunchtime, and there's a wonton stall right next to us. Shall we eat and chat?"

"Since the boss invited me, I, Bai, will naturally do him the honor." Bai Lianqi couldn't help but secretly swallow his saliva; he hadn't eaten wontons in a long time.

It's shameful to admit, but his family had once been glorious, but by the time of Bai Lianqi's generation, the family fortune had long been squandered, and he could only make a living by having his servant Dezi sell candied hawthorns.

Although life was tough, we were still able to make ends meet.

But ever since the Japanese invaded the city and Beiping fell, business has become increasingly difficult. It has become more and more difficult for one person to feed two people.

Moreover, in those days, people couldn't even get enough to eat, so where would they get the spare money to buy candied hawthorns?

On many occasions, I was even forced to eat food that required staring at people!

What is meant by "staring while eating"?
It involves putting leftover food from banquets and restaurants into a large pot, and diners using chopsticks to pick it up. Whatever they pick up is what they pay for, one copper coin per chopstick!

He was so excited to eat a meatball that he cried, which shows how impoverished his life was.

Now, whenever I hear someone invite me to eat wontons, my mouth immediately starts drooling uncontrollably.

"Boss, two bowls of wontons, please." Cao Weida glanced at Dezi, whose Adam's apple was bobbing up and down next to Bai Lianqi, and smiled smugly: "Three bowls of wontons."

"Mr. Bai, please have a seat."

"Oh, boss, you're too kind. I'm embarrassed by this." Seeing that Cao Weida had even invited Dezi, Bai Lianqi felt somewhat embarrassed. As a descendant of the Eight Banners, he still retained some of his reserve.

Although Dezi was very hungry, he still sensibly refused, saying, "Master Cao, no need, I'm not hungry yet. You can eat with my master."

"Hey, it's no big deal, don't be shy, sit down and eat, I'm not short of money." I'm about to rip someone off a lot of money, I can't be too stingy, can I?

"Thank you, thank you, Master Cao." Bai Lianqi bowed gratefully and said to Dezi, "Since Master Cao has spoken, please have a seat."

After greeting Dezi, Bai Lianqi sat down awkwardly and asked cautiously, "Master Cao, is there something you need from me?"

"It's nothing serious." Cao Weida took out a cigarette and offered one to Cao Weida: "Want one?"

"Then have one." Bai Lianqi happily took it, put it under his nose and sniffed it hard, looking like he had just taken a drug. "First, there's a sweet and pleasant tobacco aroma, mixed with a hint of sun-dried scent, like the smell of freshly harvested wheat fields wafting in the wind. It's not pungent or strong, but rather has a touch of grassy sweetness. Good cigarette, good cigarette!"

Looking at Bai Lianqi's attire, which didn't suit his temperament at all, and how he was clearly in such a sorry state, yet still insisted on talking about everything while smoking a cigarette, Cao Weida couldn't help but mentally complain. As expected of a Manchu bannerman who was used to enjoying life, he could talk about even a cigarette in a very sensible way.

He couldn't help but be curious and sniffed under his nose. Why couldn't he smell anything from his mother's kiss?
Am I just too ignorant?

"Master Bai truly lives up to his reputation as a descendant of the Eight Banners; his insights are indeed different from ordinary people. I admire him greatly!" "Hey, it's just some trivial stuff, not worth mentioning at all." He spoke modestly, but he couldn't hide the joy on his face.

The two lit cigarettes, and Cao Weida exhaled a cloud of smoke as he said:
"To be honest, I used to be a farmer, and my ancestors for eight generations were farmers. I didn't have much education, so I can't compare to someone from a high-ranking family like you. But I still like to be involved in refined circles and collect calligraphy and paintings."

“I just saw you carrying a long strip of paper, which looks like calligraphy or painting. I was intrigued and wanted to take a look at it to broaden my knowledge.”

Bai Lianqi beamed with joy at the compliment, secretly thinking to himself, "This Master Cao looks extraordinary, and as a patrol chief, he must have some money."

It was indeed a painting on the black cloth. I found it on the roof beam a few days ago when I was cleaning the house, and I was just thinking of selling it.

His ancestors were from a prominent family and were indeed wealthy. Although they had fallen on hard times, he was still very concerned about his image and loved to hear compliments from others.

Cao Wei Da spoke eloquently, using flattery and praise, which stirred his heart.

"It's alright, it's alright. To be honest, my family has fallen on hard times. Most of our prized possessions and paintings have been sold off. And with the current state of affairs, the world is in such chaos that there's not much left in the family."

"You're right, this is indeed a painting, hidden away by our ancestors. Take a look."

As he spoke, he pushed the calligraphy and painting in front of Cao Weida.

"Then I thank you very much, Master Bai!" Cao Weida chuckled as he accepted the cigarette, then stomped it out on the ground before opening the box.

Bai Lianqi felt a pang of heartache upon seeing this, but he was also very satisfied with Cao Weida's actions.

Paper used for inscriptions and paintings is most susceptible to damage from open flames. Even a tiny spark falling onto it can significantly reduce the value of the artwork.

Carefully unrolling the painting, it is a 33*100 scroll painting. The lines in the painting are graceful and the brushstrokes are elegant and refined. At the foot of the mountain, a cluster of orchids and several green bamboos lean against each other, with weeds growing below, which makes the beauty of the bamboo and the purity of the orchids stand out in an exceptionally beautiful way.

Especially the ancient paintings, full of antique charm, exude a sense of spirituality, dignity, and simplicity.

Cao Wei Da couldn't help but exclaim in admiration; the painting was simply too beautiful.

He has little artistic talent, but that doesn't stop him from discovering beauty.

Compared to Eastern paintings, Cao Weida frankly admits that he doesn't appreciate Western so-called oil paintings at all, considering them no different from children's scribbles.

"Mr. Bai, I would like to ask you something."

"You're too kind, Mr. Cao. Please speak."

Cao Weida pointed to the two names at the bottom of the seal and asked, "Who are Ma Xianglan and Wang Zhideng?"

Bai Lianqi was speechless. How could he know who Ma Xianglan and Wang Zhideng were?

"Master Bai, you don't know either?" Before Bai Lianqi could look embarrassed, Cao Weida said regretfully, "Your Master Bai comes from a prominent family. Although you are down on your luck now, you used to be wealthy. You must know a lot about these things."

You've never heard of this painting? It seems it wasn't left by any famous person. What a pity.

"Oh right, they're not exactly celebrities. I used to be so busy reading about people like Wu Daozi and Yan Liben that I really didn't remember anyone who wasn't as famous." Bai Lianqi felt incredibly embarrassed, like he was digging his toes out of a two-bedroom apartment, but he still had to go along with what Cao Weida was saying.

What else to do?
Does that mean we should admit he's short-sighted?

Do you think I, Bai Lianqi, have no pride?

However, he immediately added, "Although he is not a very famous person, he must have some reputation, otherwise he would not have caught the eye of my ancestor."

"Look at this wooden box, it's genuine Phoebe zhennan wood!"

Cao Weida chuckled inwardly. Of course I know the artist of this painting is famous. Ma Xianglan, she was one of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties!

He didn't know much about the other person named Wang Zhideng, but when he was watching the TV series, he was curious and specifically looked him up on Baidu. He vaguely remembered that he was a famous writer, poet, calligrapher and so on, and that he had a deep and unforgettable love affair with Ma Xianglan.

Ma Xianglan's paintings are rarely seen in the world, which makes them highly valuable for collectors.

Adding Wang Zhideng and a poignant love story would further enhance its collectible value.

In the original drama, this spendthrift was clueless and sold it for only fifty silver dollars. When Chen Mingze, the manager of Jubaoge, bought it, he didn't know anything about it either, so he consulted Luo Yunxuan, a professor in the history department of Yenching University, and only then did he learn that the painting was worth at least 3000 silver dollars.

This Chen Mingze was also blinded by greed; he actually sold the painting to a Japanese man named Sato Hideo.

However, Chen Mingze didn't fare well in the end, suffering the loss of his family and his life, which was quite a tragic end!

Thinking back to modern times, when foreign museums or private collections exhibit huge piles of Chinese cultural relics, Cao Wei Da felt indignant just thinking about it.

Those who sell out national cultural relics for their own selfish desires deserve this fate!

"I don't know if it's famous or not, but this painting is indeed quite beautiful." Cao Wei's Bodhidharma stroked the scroll, unable to hide his admiration, and said frankly:
"Mr. Bai, to be honest, we don't know if this has any collectible value, but I really like this painting. Would you consider parting with it? I'll offer sixty silver dollars!"

How could the paintings of our Chinese ancestors fall into the hands of the Japanese devils? Rather than letting Bai Lianqi sell them cheaply and let them fall into the hands of the Japanese devils, it's better to keep them for ourselves.

(End of this chapter)